IAS Academy – Pioneer of the Guided Learning Pathway

Founded specifically to meet the ever-growing demands of modern dentistry, the IAS Academy has always been a firm advocate in delivering ethical treatment. The Academy is proud to be largely responsible for the change in dentistry over recent years that has seen the profession embrace a more minimally invasive approach. The IAS Academy is now a well-established provider of highly popular anterior alignment training courses and support tailored to meet the needs of modern GDPs and ensure they deliver safe and effective treatment.

As anterior alignment procedures have increased in popularity, the need for appropriate professional education and training has also become essential. Orthodontics is no longer covered in any great detail by the dental schools, with current GDC aims limited to assessment and referral. Through no fault of their own, this means that GDPs often lack the experience or skills to know when they can provide safe orthodontic treatment and when they should refer, as well as the processes that should be followed.

That said, with the correct training and support GDPs are more than capable of delivering anterior orthodontics for simple to moderate cases. In recognition of this, the IAS Academy pioneered the ‘guided learning pathway’, which is designed to lead practitioners through a recommended sequence of training courses in order to ensure they have the competency and confidence to offer safe and effective treatment to their patients.

With different courses providing education on various appliances, this sequence also affords flexibility with multiple entry points for GDPs of various experience levels. The training courses include IAS Inman Aligner and IAS Clear Aligner, which are recommended as initial courses for those with little previous experience who wish to learn how to provide anterior alignment orthodontics using simple removable appliances. Leading on from these is the IAS Fixed course, which teaches simple anterior tooth alignment using fixed appliances allowing full 3D movements. The final step of the IAS Academy pathway is the IAS Advanced year course for practitioners with significant experience in fixed appliances. This teaches dentists how to treat more complex orthodontic cases such as extraction cases and functional appliances.

All courses are structured and overseen by Professor Ross Hobson, who is a renowned Specialist in Orthodontics and Clinical Director of the IAS Academy. All the IAS courses have a strong emphasis on carrying out full orthodontic assessments, formulating a diagnosis and then treatment planning with digital guidance . Professor Hobson is adamant that GDPs should fully understand what is appropriate for them to treat and to refer. He comments:

“In order for GDPs to ensure orthodontic treatment is successful, they need to know how to properly assess, diagnose and plan. When these steps are followed correctly, professionals are able to select appropriate cases and effectively communicate treatment to patients for informed consent, protecting themselves from any potential litigation. If GDP orthodontic training does not cover these stages in detail, the clinician will be left putting their patients and themselves at risk.

“All the IAS Academy courses place a heavy emphasis on ensuring GDPs can assess, diagnose and plan effectively. We believe it is always best to plan for the ideal and then determine if there are any acceptable compromises, depending on other factors affecting treatment. Therefore, this is what our training focuses on.”

Dr Anoop Maini, who is very well known in the UK for raising the profile of cosmetic orthodontic training for general dentists, adds:

"IAS training doesn’t stop there, however. A learning continuum has been developed that encourages clinicians to carry on refining their practical skills and experience through a range of additional courses, study clubs, workshops and online resources. Full case mentoring is also provided and new users are required to submit their first completed cases for review and evaluation via the online support in order to achieve full accreditation."

Complimenting the carefully designed learning continuum, there is on-going support available for all users of IAS appliances. The experts are always available to provide fast and relevant advice or guidance to those posting cases or questions on the dedicated forum. Plus, professionals can learn from their peers’ cases and queries, accelerating their own learning in an efficient way.

As Dr Tif Qureshi – the world’s most experienced clinician of the IAS Inman Aligner – concludes:

“Fundamentally, the IAS Academy advocates an effective diagnostic pathway. It’s not about marketing, it’s about performing treatment correctly and protecting patients. This is why we founded the guided learning pathway in the first place – to ensure GDPs have the skills and support they need to offer safe, ethical and effective anterior alignment. Our treatment protocols combined with our experienced understanding of restorative dentistry and function mean that we can help our Academy members create aesthetically outstanding results that are also stable, and with good planned functional results.

“Our team has 10, 20, 30 years of experience in different aspects of orthodontics and it is this same team who will provide quality mentorship throughout every GDP’s journey – from simple cases at the very beginning to the much more advanced cases a few years on. In this way we can ensure a continuum of learning and support GDPs in their mission to develop orthodontic skills and provide the right treatment for the right patients.”

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses,

please visit www.iasortho.com or call 0845 366 5477